Dugdale: ‘NHS’s decade of SNP mismanagement’

do have to pay relatively high rates for specialist consultants who are supplied by a specialised medical agency.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Our NHS has been working to reduce both the use of locum doctors and their cost.

“NHS staff numbers are at a record high – and compared with 2011, there are now 1,628 more doctors, an increase of 15% to 12,325.

“We’ve increased the number of funded medical school places this year by 50.

“In addition, our first graduate entry medical programme, with 40 places, starts next year and we are piloting two pre-medical entry programmes, with 40 places.

“This will take Scotland’s annual medical intake to 938 places, resulting in an additional 370 Government-funded places by 2020/21.” A RECRUITMENT crisis means one in five hospital consultancy posts are unfilled in some parts of Scotland.

Six years ago there were 123 vacancies across the country but the number is now 415, including 48 cancer specialists.

The time it takes to fill vacancies is also increasing.

In 2011, 31.5 posts had been empty for six months or more and now this total stands at 204.

Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale, pictured, said: “These figures show the NHS is suffering because of a decade of SNP mismanagement.

“Our hospitals don’t have enough nurses. Those nurses don’t have enough money in their pockets. Our hospitals don’t have enough doctors. But there’s more than enough money for private health firms.”

A breakdown of the crisis shows there’s barely any gaps in some places such as Edinburgh.

But in more rural locations, such as Dumfries & Galloway and the Western Isles, one in five posts are vacant.

When it comes to clinical specialsims, radiology and anaesthetics are the worst areas.

A total of 48 radiology posts are empty, while 40 anaesthetists are needed, and nearly half of these vacancies have been empty for six months.

The vacancy rate for occupational medicine and psychotherapy was at 22% in 2016, while the rate for intensive care specialist staff was 18.2%.

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “In the past six years the number of consultants increased by 833 – up more than 18% – to 5,315. Given staff turnover in an organisation of this size, there will always be some vacancies.

“NHS Boards use a variety of recruitment methods to fill posts, including recruitment outwith Scotland, in other parts of Europe, and overseas.

“Consultants’ salaries in Scotland can be up to £2000 more than their England counterparts while there is job security through our no compulsory redundancy policy.”